Ethylene/dicyclopentadiene/norbornene terpolymer materials having desirable structural and thermal properties

Provided are selected types of terpolymer components comprising terpolymers having monomer units derived from ethylene (E), dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and norbornene-based (NB) co-monomers. Such terpolymer components have certain specified amounts of each co-monomer as well as certain specified molecular weight and glass transition temperature characteristics. Terpolymer components which are derivatized by hydrogenation and/or by epoxidation and/or hydroxylation are also disclosed, as well as thermoplastic polyolefin compositions which contain the terpolymer components and which have especially desirable structural and thermal properties. Also provided are processes for preparing and derivatizing the terpolymer components herein. Such preparation processes comprise: a) contacting ethylene with a polymerization mixture comprising selected amounts of both DCPD and NB co-monomers, in the presence of a selected activated cyclopentadienyl-fluorenyl metallocene catalyst under specific polymerization conditions to thereby form the desired ethylene-dicyclopentadiene-norbornene terpolymer components within the polymerization mixture. These terpolymer components can then be subsequently derivatized by hydrogenation or functionalization of the residual double bonds therein.